Rating: 
Summary: Better than I expected.
Review: Generally speaking, detective thrillers seem to be full of unrealistic characters (supercops and supervillains) with too many neat coincidences and twists of fate in the plot. Rankin avoids the characterization problems through the use of a flawed hero and a well balanced cast. The concidences are still too neat, and the fates too twisty for my taste, but the plot is basically sound.Not a great book, but a lot less cheesy than the average thriller. Rebus is a fun character, and the shortness of the book suits the simplicity of the story.
Rating: 
Summary: Twisted minds and the dark secrets of Edinburgh's other side
Review: He had wanted to update Robert Louis Stevenson's "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" for modern times, Ian Rankin writes about his first Inspector Rebus novel, "Knots and Crosses" in the introduction to the British compilation "Rebus: The Early Years" (unfortunately, not available in the U.S.), which contains the first three installments of the series. Oblivious to the mere existence of such a thing as the mystery genre - or so Rankin says - he was stunned to soon hear his book described first and foremost as a crime novel. But eventually this characterization prompted him to have a closer look at the work of other mystery writers, and he found that the form suited his purposes just fine; that in fact he "could say everything [he] wanted to say about the world, and still give readers a pacy, gripping narrative." Bearing in mind the original duality of Jekyll and Hyde, however, Rankin's tales are not dominated by a contrast painted in black and white. While the villains Inspector Rebus faces are certainly every bit as evil as Stevenson's Mr. Hyde, Rebus himself is far from a clean-slated "good guy:" Divorced, cynical, hard-drinking and a former member of the SAS, he is a brother in spirit to every noir detective from Dashiell Hammett's Sam Spade and Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe to Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch, James Ellroy's squad of crooked cops and Peter Robinson's Alan Banks. Nor is Rebus's Edinburgh the touristy town of Calton Hill, castle and Summer Festival (although the series has meanwhile sparked real-life guided tours to its most famous locations, too) - as befitting a true detective of his ilk, Rankin's antihero moves primarily in the city's dark and dirty underbelly, which is populated by society's losers and where those who have "made it," those with money in their pockets, only show up if they have shady deals to conduct as well. In a similar fashion to Michael Connelly's first Harry Bosch novel "The Black Echo," where Bosch is forced to revisit the experiences he made as a Vietnam "tunnel rat," in "Knots and Crosses" Rebus must uncover long-buried memories of his SAS past. For hunting a serial killer whom the tabloids quickly dub "The Edinburgh Strangler," and whose headline-gathering murders at first seem totally unrelated, Rebus eventually makes the connection between those crimes and a series of anonymous letters he receives, and realizes that it is he himself who is the killer's true target, and that the murderer's crimes are based on such a cruel scheme - and executed with such inhuman skill and precision - that only one particular man's thoroughly disturbed mind can have come up with them. And at the same time, Rebus is trying to work out his difficult relationship with his brother Michael, whose life is so different from his own - financially successful and ostensibly happily married and squeaky clean throughout, Michael seems to be on the sunny side of life in every respect labeled a failure in Rebus's own life story - but he soon discovers that even Michael has secrets he is trying hard to keep from coming to light. While this series had a terrific start already in its first novel, published in 1987, Rebus's character - and Rankin's writing - has evolved significantly over time. Thus, it is probably wise to read it in the order of publication. Contrary to the novels he wrote under the pseudonym Jack Harvey, however, and which he views much more critically in hindsight, Ian Rankin overall still seems to be very happy with his early Rebus books, commenting almost nostalgically: "I can't read them without thinking back to my own early years, my apprenticeship as a crime writer. Read and enjoy." I have nothing to add to that ...
Rating:
Summary: Twisted minds and the dark secrets of Edinburgh's other side
Review: He had wanted to update Robert Louis Stevenson's "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" for modern times, Ian Rankin writes about his first Inspector Rebus novel, "Knots and Crosses" in the introduction to the British compilation "Rebus: The Early Years" (unfortunately, not available in the U.S.), which contains the first three installments of the series. Oblivious to the mere existence of such a thing as the mystery genre - or so Rankin says - he was stunned to soon hear his book described first and foremost as a crime novel. But eventually this characterization prompted him to have a closer look at the work of other mystery writers, and he found that the form suited his purposes just fine; that in fact he "could say everything [he] wanted to say about the world, and still give readers a pacy, gripping narrative." Bearing in mind the original duality of Jekyll and Hyde, however, Rankin's tales are not dominated by a contrast painted in black and white. While the villains Inspector Rebus faces are certainly every bit as evil as Stevenson's Mr. Hyde, Rebus himself is far from a clean-slated "good guy:" Divorced, cynical, hard-drinking and a former member of the SAS, he is a brother in spirit to every noir detective from Dashiell Hammett's Sam Spade and Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe to Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch, James Ellroy's squad of crooked cops and Peter Robinson's Alan Banks. Nor is Rebus's Edinburgh the touristy town of Calton Hill, castle and Summer Festival (although the series has meanwhile sparked real-life guided tours to its most famous locations, too) - as befitting a true detective of his ilk, Rankin's antihero moves primarily in the city's dark and dirty underbelly, which is populated by society's losers and where those who have "made it," those with money in their pockets, only show up if they have shady deals to conduct as well. In a similar fashion to Michael Connelly's first Harry Bosch novel "The Black Echo," where Bosch is forced to revisit the experiences he made as a Vietnam "tunnel rat," in "Knots and Crosses" Rebus must uncover long-buried memories of his SAS past. For hunting a serial killer whom the tabloids quickly dub "The Edinburgh Strangler," and whose headline-gathering murders at first seem totally unrelated, Rebus eventually makes the connection between those crimes and a series of anonymous letters he receives, and realizes that it is he himself who is the killer's true target, and that the murderer's crimes are based on such a cruel scheme - and executed with such inhuman skill and precision - that only one particular man's thoroughly disturbed mind can have come up with them. And at the same time, Rebus is trying to work out his difficult relationship with his brother Michael, whose life is so different from his own - financially successful and ostensibly happily married and squeaky clean throughout, Michael seems to be on the sunny side of life in every respect labeled a failure in Rebus's own life story - but he soon discovers that even Michael has secrets he is trying hard to keep from coming to light. While this series had a terrific start already in its first novel, published in 1987, Rebus's character - and Rankin's writing - has evolved significantly over time. Thus, it is probably wise to read it in the order of publication. Contrary to the novels he wrote under the pseudonym Jack Harvey, however, and which he views much more critically in hindsight, Ian Rankin overall still seems to be very happy with his early Rebus books, commenting almost nostalgically: "I can't read them without thinking back to my own early years, my apprenticeship as a crime writer. Read and enjoy." I have nothing to add to that ...
Rating:
Summary: A Great Series
Review: I just found-out about Ian Rankin, and now I'm hooked on the John Rebus series. Very gritty, sort of a TRAINSPOTTING series of crime novels. I generally enjoy U.K. mysteries and Rebus series is not a disappointment.
Rating: 
Summary: A striking blow to librarians everywhere!*
Review: I love Rankin's writing style and vivid depictions of Edinburgh. Of course, as a huge fan of Irvine Welsh, I am not unfamiliar with the seamier side of this city.
Unfortunately, the plot itself was relatively predictable. Maybe because I had just finished Iain Banks' Complicity (masterful and much recommended), also set in Edinburgh and featuring characters who had participated in a brutal military training regimen, I found Rankin's mystery uninspired...
*...That is, except for the bit I mention in my title line. I am a library school student, and I was quite taken aback by this part. It made me love the book more!
I will definitely read more John Rebus mysteries.
Rating:
Summary: A solid start to a brilliant series
Review: I read a lot of mysteries (too many) and Ian Rankin's Rebus series is probably my favorite. As the first entry in the series, Knots & Crosses is essential reading. And while it isn't as good and rather more conventional than later entries (Hide & Seek, The Black Book and Mortal Causes are outstanding) it has all the elements of a solid mystery. These include a very human, even damaged, detective, well-developed subsidiary characters, a fast-moving plot and a surprising resolution. Best of all is the atmospheric setting of Edinburgh--the dark, sleazy side tourists don't see. The Rebus series definitely belongs to the more hard-boiled school of detective fiction, and therefore may not appeal to those who prefer "cozies." But because these books are so well written and the character of Rebus is so compelling, I can see Knots & Crosses and the rest of the series appealing even to people who don't usually read mysteries.
Rating:
Summary: A Good First Effort
Review: I was excited to discover a new British mystery author. It seems that Americans just don't do this particular genre very well and I usually just put a book down if I see that an author is from America or writing about America. Brits do this kind of stuff better.
Anyway, I wasn't disappointed in this first effort. Some people find this book dark and dreary, but I was reading 'Trainspotting' at the same time I was reading this one and I thought the Edinburgh theme was great. British mysteries are dark, Americans mysteries are too sappy and optimistic. The darkness gives this book depth and feeling. I can't wait to read more Ian Rankin!
Rating:
Summary: A good start to a great series
Review: In this, the first Inspector Rebus novel, author Ian Rankin shows why this series is so popular: a conflicted `hero', deep characterizations, a complex plot, and intense psychological drama. Rebus is a policeman in Edinburgh, a city renown for its history and for other, unsavory, pursuits. One of the running themes of the Rebus series is the underside of the famous tourist destination. Rankin states at one point: "These tourists spent so much time photographing things that they never actually saw anything..." (84). The plot deals with a serial killer who, at the beginning of the novel, has abducted and killed two young girls; Rebus is assigned to the extensive investigation in a minor capacity. At the same time, he is dealing with three other problems in his life: his daughter, his brother, and his past as a British soldier. As the novel continues, these seemingly disparate items will be connected in a dramatic way to the main investigation. Although not as intricate as later Rebus novels, `Knots and Crosses' is a excellent introduction to Rankin's excellent creation of John Rebus. A good series well worth reading.
Rating:
Summary: Good start to the series
Review: Read about Ian Rankin in a magazine and thought I would start at the beginning of the series. Ian Rankin is a very good author, the pages fly by at a quick and enjoyable pace. But what is lacking is the initiative for the reader to figure out who the guilty party is. Not to spoil anything but about two-thirds of the way through the book a silly plot device is thrown in and the murderer identified. What is wrong with this is that the reader cannot possibly have figured out who the murderer is during the first 175 pages of the book which is a key component of why I read mysteries. Still, very well written and hope to read the entire series.
Rating:
Summary: The Beginning Of A GREAT Series
Review: Someone is strangling children in Edinburgh. Inspector John Rebus starts receiving what he thinks are crank letters, each enclosing a small neatly tied knot. While investigating the serial strangler, Rebus takes the reader with him on a tour of the seedy side of Scotland's second city. Along the way we learn that Rebus has lost his marriage, has forgotten how to communicate with his young daughter, drinks too much and feels and acts the loner. We meet the other detectives and minor characters that flesh out the story so well. While Rebus starts to see where all the clues are pointing, the reader is completely drawn into the story. Rankin set out to write a modern day parallel to Jekyll and Hyde, not a crime fiction book at all. But the result is the beginning of the best mystery series I've yet to read. Inspector Rebus is fascinating enough to carry a book by himself, but the mystery is absorbing, thought-provoking and makes this book a fast paced page turner. I can't recommend this book highly enough. Ian Rankin has penned a masterpiece with this series. I hope you will read them all.
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